I was reading the Times of Israel and the Jerusalem Post this week. I was getting more and more aggravated. Our son asked me what I was reading that caused me to become so upset. In an attempt to cheer me up, he even joked that the last time he saw me this upset was after the U.S. elections occurred when Trump and his minions spent every day until the inauguration screaming about “a stolen election” “the deep state”, and “and one of biggest conspiracies of all time”. Of course all his and his minions’ hate, vitriol, lying, race-baiting and conspiring, led traitorous right-wing, fascist, white supremacist organizations to riot at the United States Capitol. Amid all the Israel bashing, amid all the Antisemitism and all the Jewish organizations screaming “anti-semitism” at various pop cultural influencers, and various political leaders, and Palestinian leaders, I am shocked at how quiet that same Jewish world has been with the vitriolic, poisonous rhetoric of Bibi Netanyahu, his followers, certain right-wing Orthodox Rabbis. Ever since a coalition was cobbled together to form 61 seats, a coalition that includes Right Wing Nationalists, Secularist, and Islamists, Bibi and his followers have cried out that the “deep state” is the cause of this illegal coalition, the “election was stolen”, The head of the Shin Bet has warned that such provocative language served as motivation 26 years ago when a lone, ultranationalist gunman assassinated Yitzchak Rabin. The rhetoric then and now is remarkably the same. This coalition was successfully cobbled together after Netanyu was asked and failed to form a 61 seat coalition. Why the vitriolic poisonous rhetoric that claims this coalition is doing to destroy Israel? That’s easy, the right-wing Orthodox parties and rabbis are not part of the coalition. They backed Bibi. So now, they, along with their idol, Netanyahu, have been trying to scorch the earth, creating irreparable harm to Israel’s most noble experiment, a Jewish Democracy.
This week we read from Parsha Korach. Korach was a relative of Moshe's. They both came from the tribe of Levi. Korach questioned Moshe, and soon Korach was leading a rebellion against Moshe. Moshe tried to keep peace within the community but to no avail. A divine test is administered, and Korach and his supporters fail. The earth swallowed them up. However, God is angry and a plague falls upon the people. However, B'nei Yisroel doesn't speak out against Korach. They don't "call him out". They are passive and because of their passivity, they are punished. Yet the people are still not convinced that Moshe and Aharon should remain in charge, only that Korach was unworthy. So a second divine test is administered this time with 12 rods stuck in the ground and almond branches resulting in Aaron’s staff, thus symbolizing that God has chosen Aharon to be the Kohen Gadol. The Parsha concludes with God speaking to Aharon and re-iterating his obligations in terms of the Mishkan, the Altar, and the Tent of the Meeting.
The Torah portion begins rather innocuously, much like many rebellions. VaYikach Korach ben Yitzhar Ben Kahat ben Levi v’ Datan V’Aviram B’nai Eliav V’On ben Pelet Bnai Reuven – Korach son of Itzhar son of Kohath son of Levi took Datan and Aviram. Korach “took” these men? Where did he “take” them? Rashi, the 11th-century French commentator, offers an explanation based upon the Midrash Tanchuma (a fifth-century compilation of rabbinic commentary). Rashi points out that VaYiKach he took - suggests that there should be a direct object. Since there is no direct object, Lakach Et Atzmo LTzad Echod – he [Korach] took himself off to one side or separated himself from the rest of the Leviim. By definition, a rebellion is a means of separating oneself from authority or from accepted norms. No, Korach wasn’t debating policy. Korach was questioning Moshe’s legitimacy as the leader. In a sense, Korach was questioning God’s authority. Korach was challenging God by asking, “why was Moshe chosen and not me?” Perhaps even more troubling than that question raises a crisis of faith. “Who is God, that God should appoint a leader over us? Shouldn’t the people choose their own leader?”. Korach didn’t question Moshe’s authority in a private meeting between individuals. Rather, Korach gathered 250 supporters, and then publicly challenged Moshe. The public questioning, the tone, the vitriol eventually led to a rebellion and people died. Korach's rebellion against Moshe was not an attempt to create a better, more efficient form of governance. Instead, Korach's rebellion was an attempt to elevate his own stature, authority, and power. He gathered leaders from other tribes, tribes that were geographically near him that heard his complaints. He didn’t have the support of other Leviim. Korach was the first great “disruptor”, challenging Moshe’s authority and the institutions that he helped to establish in order to keep B’nai Yisroel safe from all those threatening societies.
So when will I be able to read the news out of Israel without angst, concern, and muttering under my breath? On June 14th, the Knesset is scheduled to vote to approve of this new coalition and this noble and sacred experiment in Democracy. Until then, another outgoing leader will scream, yell and spew the same poisonous vitriol, rhetoric, and winking and nodding to right-wing extremists as a former U.S. President. I explained to my son that in the meantime, while Israel and the world wait for the new coalition to actually assume its rightful place as the new government, it would be nice if those same Jewish organizations that call out the Anti-Semitism and Anti Zionism call out the poisonous rhetoric, the hateful vitriol of Netanyahu and his extreme supporters before Jews turn on Jew. The Shin Bet has warned us that the political and religious environment is growing frighteningly similar to 26 years ago. The rhetoric and the words of the extreme right-wing Rabbinic community grow increasingly intolerant, self-righteous, and demonizing of fellow Jews. My son reminded me that the irony and the tragedy of Netanyahu and his religious supporters is that they should know better since they are all too familiar with this “scorched earth” strategy, and the deadly rebellion of Korach.
Rav Yitz
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